Digital marketing for manufacturers offers plenty of perks over traditional trade show networking or untargeted mass media efforts.
Inbound content marketing for manufacturers can help boost your ROI with the use of powerful tools with trackable results. A recent study by the Content Marketing Institute revealed some interesting insights about how manufacturers today are approaching online lead generation.
- 96% of manufacturers use social media for their marketing efforts
- 96% also release marketing content on their own manufacturer's website
- 74% of manufacturers use an email newsletter
While it’s great to see manufacturing marketing taking the leap into the digital age, there are several common mistakes that can make or break the success of your campaign. Let’s go over some common marketing mishaps and how you can prevent them from happening to you.
1. Having an Outdated Website
If there’s one component of your manufacturing marketing strategy you can’t afford to neglect, it's your website. An outdated website can give visitors a first bad impression and a slow loading speed can even affect your Google ranking.
It's also important to ensure that your website looks as great on mobile devices as it does on a computer screen. According to Statista, 50% of all web traffic in 2022 originated on a mobile device - that's a lot of potential customers to lose over a poor mobile site experience!
If you fear that your site may be due for a much-needed upgrade, then it’s definitely worth reaching out to a manufacturing marketing agency for help. Marketing professionals can bring your site into the 21st century and monitor important metrics to make sure it’s producing all the right effects.
Updating your site also presents an opportunity to add innovations that can make your life a lot easier. For instance, HubSpot’s meeting scheduler tools allow prospects to schedule meetings with you right from your website and sync with your calendar to only show time slots when you’re available.
2. Not Leveraging Email Marketing
Never underestimate the power of email marketing for manufacturers. WebFX’s industrial email marketing statistics reveal that plenty of manufacturers are utilizing email lists to achieve powerful results.
Of those surveyed, 73% of industrial marketers considered email an extremely important channel for attracting new customers and 61% said they send out at least three newsletters each month. Additional statistics show that email marketing has a higher conversion rate than both social media marketing and organic search combined.
Manufacturing marketing emails come in a wide variety of forms, which can help you connect with leads at each stage of their customer journey. You can use emails to do things like:
- Welcome new customers or leads
- Engage your audience with newsletters
- Announce a new product or service
- Offer special discounts or free consultations
- Ask for feedback
- Send out videos or invitations to webinars
HubSpot offers a free email and CRM tool that can help you effortlessly segment, track, and customize your emails for optimal results. It even comes with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that makes designing professional on-brand emails a breeze.
3. Irregular Posting on Social Media
Content marketing for manufacturers largely relies on getting your message in front of the right people. That’s where tools like social media can be incredibly helpful.
But social media marketing for manufacturing involves a lot more than simply putting up a business page and hoping for the best. In order to use social media as a lead generation tool, you’ll want to develop a strategy that includes regularly posting relevant content.
Not only will posting great content regularly attract new customers, but it will also help foster a sense of community among your followers. HubSpot's 2023 Social Media Marketing Report revealed several key trends among global marketers:
- 90% of marketers say that creating an active online community is a key element of social media marketing success
- 20% of social media marketers post daily, 22% post multiple times a day, and 34% post new content several times each week
- 45% of marketers post content designed to reflect their brand’s values, while 42% prefer educational posts, 39% target trendy posts, and 36% opt for funny content
Social media marketing tools like HubSpot, HootSuite, or SproutSocial can help take the guesswork out of staying on top of your social media campaign. When you sign up with one of these services, you’ll enjoy the ability to schedule your posts across multiple social media platforms in advance and automatically keep your audience engaged.
4. No Overarching Content Strategy
If you’re not getting the type of results you want, then it’s time to take a good look at your manufacturing marketing strategy or lack thereof. Launching a marketing campaign without a content strategy in place is a lot like setting out on a road trip without a map or sense of exactly where you’re going.
Digital marketing for manufacturers can admittedly be a complex process, but marketing automation tools like HubSpot’s free CRM can go a long way toward helping you get organized. To develop a solid content strategy, you’ll need to map out several key factors.
- Understanding your audience is an essential part of being able to create content that relates to them. Who are your viewers, what are their problems, and why does your company offer the best possible solution?
- Decide which type of content to focus on, whether it be articles, videos, infographics, whitepapers, webinars, or a mixture of any of the above. Do you want to educate, inform, or entertain your viewers and what is the best way to do so?
- Where will you post your content? It’s likely you may choose to use a variety of channels such as email, your manufacturer's website, and social media, but it’s important to map out what will be published where.
- Create a schedule to make sure that your content is posted regularly to each channel you choose to utilize. You may post to some channels more regularly than to others, but the important thing is to make sure you know what will be posted and when.
- Track your progress by deciding which metrics you’ll use to measure your success. Tools like HubSpot and Google Analytics offer powerful audience insights that can help ensure your campaign is meeting your goals.
5. Underestimating SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) remains one of the top digital marketing mistakes to avoid — and one of the most overlooked opportunities in manufacturing marketing. Many industrial brands rely on hard-won referrals or time-intensive trade show appearances to drive business and fail to realize how much qualified traffic they could capture through the gift that keeps on giving: web searches.
A well-structured SEO strategy is your best shot to get your website to appear when procurement managers or plant supervisors are searching for products or services like yours. After all, 57% of industrial purchasers make buying decisions before contacting a producer. Without SEO, you’re essentially invisible on the web to potential buyers who are actively looking for solutions.
Manufacturers should begin by:
- Keyword optimizations on product and service pages for keywords their ideal customers use (such as “custom metal fabrication in Ohio” or “precision CNC machining.”)
- Other on-page optimizations like adding schema markup, internal links, and meta descriptions to boost search relevance, authority, and visibility.
- A steady flow of educational content that answers real customer questions. For example, blogs about machining tolerances, materials selection, or process comparisons can attract organic traffic while demonstrating authority.
Beyond traditional SEO, technical performance matters too. Fast page load speeds, secure HTTPS, and mobile optimization all contribute to search ranking. Manufacturing sites that take SEO seriously consistently see higher-quality leads and longer time on site. As a result, they also see lower acquisition costs!
6. Failing to Identify Target Audience
You can’t market to everyone. If you try, it often results in connecting with no one. Many manufacturers overlook the value of detailed buyer personas that reflect their real customers.
This could mean creating specific marketing content for operations managers, design engineers, maintenance supervisors, or procurement specialists, depending on what best fits your place in the supply chain. Each persona has unique pain points and purchasing motivations, and failing to define them means your messaging stays generic and ineffective.
So, give up on blanket marketing. Manufacturers should segment audiences by industry, company size, and application for more targeted content, such as:
- A whitepaper on reducing downtime for plant managers
- A design guide on material performance for engineers
- A tradeshow follow-up email workflow that speaks to the pain points of procurement teams
Persona-based marketing also improves ROI — you’ll better align your email campaigns, paid ads, sales collateral, and trade show follow-ups with the needs of each group.
HubSpot, Salesforce, or similar CRM tools are a good place to start. They help capture behavioral data like what pages a prospect visits or which assets they download, which can help you to refine your targeting further. The more precise your audience definition, the easier it becomes to craft relevant messaging that resonates and converts.
7. Not Utilizing Data and Analytics
Old habits die hard. Manufacturers with robust marketing budgets sometimes still make decisions on gut feeling rather than measurable performance. And yet, it’s impossible to know which channels, campaigns, or keywords deliver the best results without data-driven insights. Modern tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, and SEMrush provide great visibility into the stuff your marketing team really wants to know:
- Traffic sources
- Engagement rates
- Conversion patterns
- Which pages attract the most visitors
- Where leads drop off
- Which campaigns generate the highest ROI
What’s astounding is that many companies underutilize these simple-to-use resources. Metrics such as cost per lead, form conversions, and page bounce rates fuel the analytics that help manufacturers optimize campaigns over time. Data can also expose hidden opportunities. For example, you might discover that most inquiries come from a particular industry segment or region, which could prompt a lucrative localized marketing push.
Regular reporting should be built into your marketing rhythm. Monthly performance reviews ground decisions in measurable evidence. Over time, that data transforms marketing from an expense into an investment with each campaign informed by real behavior.
8. Inconsistent Branding
You know what creates confusion and diminishes trust at a glance like nothing else? Mismatched logos. Color palettes that clash. Inconsistent messaging. Manufacturers with decades of credibility can lose authority when their digital catalogs, trade show collateral, website pages, and social media channels all look like they belong to different companies. Cohesive branding communicates professionalism and stability (two values that buyers associate with reliability and product quality).
A unified brand style guide is where you start. The guide keeps all visual and written elements consistent across platforms. This includes:
- Tone of voice
- Preferred phrasings/terminology
- Logo placement
- Typography
- Color palette
- Image style
The experience should remain consistent and feel unmistakably yours, no matter whether a customer has downloaded a technical datasheet or scrolled past a festive seasonal LinkedIn post.
Consistency extends beyond visuals, too. Your word choice and messaging should align with the same positioning statement across sales materials and email/web copy. You’ve got to reinforce the same value proposition to build recognition over time. Every touchpoint must reflect a cohesive brand identity to give the prospect confidence in your professionalism well before they request a quote.
9. Ignoring Social Media Platforms
Some manufacturers dismiss social media as irrelevant. It’s easy to assume the industrial buyer isn’t active in these less “serious” spaces. And yet, LinkedIn, YouTube, and even Facebook remain powerful tools for B2B engagement. According to Thomasnet, “manufacturing and industrial companies can leverage social media to increase traffic up to 300% and boost lead generation by 150%.” Ignoring these platforms would mean you miss out on both brand awareness and valuable relationship-building opportunities. Let’s focus on two standout social options:
- LinkedIn, as a business-focused platform, has the highest value for manufacturers targeting decision-makers. Share technical articles, case studies, behind-the-scenes facility content, and timely company updates to position yourself as a thought leader and attract a regular audience.
- YouTube, meanwhile, allows manufacturers to showcase product demonstrations, process walkthroughs, or machine capabilities — content that today’s search engines favor very highly.
Regular posting, community engagement, and employee advocacy can all help to expand your organic reach. Even for niche industries, social media drives measurable results: more inbound leads, better recruiting visibility, and stronger customer loyalty. Ignore it and you are likely limiting exposure (and even signaling that your company isn’t evolving with the times!).
10. Not Leveraging Case Studies or Testimonials
Promises aren’t enough. Buyers in the manufacturing sector want proof. They need to see how your company has solved problems similar to theirs. Near the top of the list of common digital marketing mistakes to avoid is a failure to showcase real-world results through case studies or testimonials. Why? It leaves a massive credibility gap.
- Case studies demonstrate measurable success and highlight your expertise with convincing, detailed proof.
- Testimonials (e.g. reviews, ratings, anecdotes) provide fast, skimmable social proof that reinforces trust quickly.
Each case study should clearly define the client’s challenge, your solution, and the quantifiable outcome. Maybe it was cost savings. Or faster production. Or improved precision. Whatever the benefit, visuals like before-and-after shots, process photos, or short video interviews can make the story more compelling. When you include specific metrics (e.g. “reduced production time by 32%”), your claims carry far more weight.
Testimonials tend to work best when they feature decision-makers from recognizable companies in your industry. Embed quotes on your homepage or within blog posts. You can even put them directly on relevant product pages to increase buyer confidence. The combination of narrative case studies and concise testimonials transforms generic marketing into evidence-based storytelling. Before you know it, you’re earning trust and accelerating conversions.
11. Failing to Invest in Video Marketing
Video has proven to be one of the most engaging formats for industrial buyers. However, for some reason, many manufacturers still rely solely on text-heavy materials. Maybe it’s a force of habit. Whatever the reason, it’s time to evolve.
Video content (facility tours, product demos, maintenance tips) can rapidly humanize your brand for the viewer and simplify concepts that would be complex to describe in text. A two-minute video can communicate what would take several paragraphs (or pages!) to explain. Technical or process-oriented industries take note.
Manufacturers can also leverage multiple video types to support each stage of the buyer journey.
- Introductory videos establish brand awareness
- Detailed demos show capabilities in action
- Customer success stories or employee spotlights help prospects relate on a personal level
- A simple video walk-through of your quality control process can reassure potential clients about your standards.
Videos also boost SEO since Google favors multimedia content. Host them on YouTube, embed them in blogs, and share clips across LinkedIn or email newsletters to further multiply exposure. With affordable production tools now readily available (some movies are filmed on regular iPhones for crying out loud), an investment in professional video content can easily show long-term return on investment.
12. Lack of Lead Nurturing
Many manufacturers presume they’ve got marketing under control because they focus heavily on generating leads, and it’s working! Leads are coming in! But…if you neglect what happens after a lead raises their hand, you’ve achieved nothing.
Nurtured leads generate 20% more sales opportunities than those left cold. It takes a structured lead nurturing process to stop those warm prospects from growing cold before they ever reach a sales conversation. Consistent follow-up through targeted email sequences, educational content, and sales alignment keeps your company top-of-mind.
Deliver the right message at the right time. Let’s say a prospect downloads a design guide. You might want to send them a follow-up email that offers a related webinar invitation or a product demo. Someone who’s visited multiple service pages might be ready for a consultation prompt. Automation platforms like HubSpot or ActiveCampaign simplify this process by segmenting leads based on behavior and engagement.
The key is personalization. Automated doesn’t have to mean impersonal. Customized emails and well-aligned outreach with your prospect’s pain points can build trust better than a general form letter. Manufacturers who nurture leads effectively see shorter sales cycles and stronger long-term relationships.
13. Overreliance on Trade Shows
Trade shows remain valuable for networking and exposure. Still, you can’t rely on them as your main marketing channel without limiting your true growth potential. Shows are costly and infrequent. They’re dependent on location and attendance. All of these factors are beyond your control. When a significant share of your budget goes toward booth design and travel, other high-performing digital opportunities get neglected.
To diversify, manufacturers should pair trade show appearances with robust digital campaigns.
- Use pre-show emails to book appointments.
- Promote booth visits via LinkedIn.
- Retarget visitors afterward with follow-up ads or gated content.
- Between events, stay visible through consistent online engagement and inbound content.
So, shift some resources toward content creation, SEO, and automation, and you’ll build year-round visibility that trade shows alone can’t deliver. Digital marketing compounds in value over time — every blog post, video, or landing page continues attracting leads long after the event ends.
14. Ignoring Competitor Analysis
Every manufacturing company operates in a competitive environment, whether local or global. You can’t ignore what your competitors are doing online. If you do, you’re stuck in a reactive stance. Early bird gets the worm, and you’re left fighting for scraps. Competitor analysis uncovers opportunities to differentiate your brand.
Start by reviewing competitors’ websites, SEO rankings, ad campaigns, and social activity. Benchmark your performance against rivals in your space and identify untapped market gaps. Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SpyFu reveal what keywords they target, what content drives traffic, and which backlinks boost their domain authority. From there, analyze their messaging (what promises they make, what tone they use, where they’re positioning themselves in the market, etc.).
Taken together, this intelligence allows you to refine your own approach. If a rival dominates search results for a core product, you can pivot to focus on related long-tail keywords or highlight unique advantages such as faster delivery or tighter tolerances. And remember: competitor analysis is not about imitating. It’s about learning from others’ real successes and failures to better position your company and stand apart with a data-backed strategy.
15. Underestimating Local SEO
As of 2025, it’s estimated that 75% of web searchers don’t scroll past the first page of search results. Manufacturers that serve specific regions or industrial corridors often find that local SEO is the difference between being found and being forgotten. Many companies still focus on broad keywords but ignore opportunities to capture the nearby buyers who are searching for “custom machining near me” or “metal fabrication in [city].” Optimize for local search to connect with customers who are ready to buy and reduce competition from national players.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a complete Google Business Profile is the foundation. Include accurate hours, service areas, and photos of your facility or products. Collect and frequently respond to customer reviews to help signal your credibility to both users and search engine algorithms. Local directories and citations (such as ThomasNet, IndustryNet, or local chamber listings) reinforce your authority in regional markets.
You can also add location-specific landing pages or blog posts to improve visibility. For example, a geo-targeted “Automated Welding Services in Michigan” web page can draw prospects from localized searches. Combined with location-based ads, local SEO helps manufacturers dominate their geographic footprint and build stronger community awareness.
16. Not Measuring ROI
It’s impossible to know if your marketing efforts are paying off if, like many manufacturers, you still rely on anecdotal evidence or “gut feel” to judge campaign success. That approach, one of the most common marketing mistakes, can lead to wasted budgets and missed opportunities. An ROI measurement ties your marketing activities directly to outcomes (leads, sales, cost savings) and provides a clear picture of what’s working.
So, how do you get started? Set measurable goals for each initiative on finite metrics such as:
- Form submissions
- Quote requests
- Downloads
- Demo bookings
Then, use analytics dashboards to connect those actions to revenue. Marketing automation tools can attribute each conversion to its source — whether it came from organic search, paid ads, or an email campaign.
A regular review of ROI metrics helps you to refine budgets and focus resources on high-performing channels. For instance, you might discover that a single case study campaign outperforms an entire ad series. That could prompt a strategic reallocation. Manufacturers who commit to performance tracking transform marketing from a cost center into a predictable growth engine.
17. Not Utilizing Influencers
Influencer marketing is often associated with consumer products. While influencers have a very visible presence in that area, they also have growing relevance in the B2B manufacturing world. Mentions (or reviews!) from influential industry experts and content creators with large, technical followings can absolutely amplify your reach and credibility. If you ignore these potential partnerships, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. This is a chance to connect with audiences already interested in your niche.
Collaborations might include things like:
- Podcast appearances
- LinkedIn Live discussions
- Co-created articles that feature your expertise
- Partnerships with YouTubers who review tools or document production technologies
These strategies all offer exposure to engineers and procurement specialists. The key is authenticity. You have to work with influencers whose content aligns with your brand values and technical accuracy.
Influencer collaborations can also humanize your company. When prospects see your products demonstrated by respected industry voices, you build trust with the audience even better than with traditional advertisements. Identify and strategically partner with credible experts to strengthen brand awareness and modernize your marketing presence.
18. Incorrect Use of Paid Ads
Paid advertising can deliver immediate visibility, but poor execution leads to wasted spend. Common digital marketing mistakes small businesses should avoid include:
- Targeting the wrong keywords
- Sending traffic to generic pages
- Neglecting to track conversions
- Assuming that generic paid search or display ads guarantee results
The most effective campaigns are tightly focused and data-driven. Use specific long-tail keywords such as “CNC milling for aerospace parts” to attract qualified leads. Broad, expensive terms like “manufacturing services” are too hotly contested and vague to attract a high volume of relevant, quality leads. Direct users to optimized landing pages with clear CTAs and relevant offers — not just your homepage!
Continual testing is non-negotiable if you hope to improve results over time. A/B test ad copy, visuals, and CTAs to refine performance and opt for the strategies that are producing more and better leads. Consider adding remarketing campaigns to help you re-engage visitors who didn’t convert initially. Consistent tracking, through tools like Google Ads or HubSpot, can help you to spot which ads are driving meaningful ROI and which need rethinking. Paid ads are only worth your time if every dollar contributes to measurable results.
19. Neglecting User Experience
Even the most visually appealing website can fail if it’s frustrating to navigate. Poor user experience (UX) turns potential leads away before they ever reach your contact form. Slow loading speeds, confusing menus, outdated visuals, or hard-to-read text signal that a company might be equally disorganized in its operations.
User experience directly affects engagement and conversions. Manufacturers improve UX by making sure their websites load in under three seconds, include intuitive navigation, and present information in a clear hierarchy. Make sure key resources like product data sheets and RFQ/contact pages are easily accessible within one or two clicks.
Good UX design also supports SEO. Search engines like Google actually reward sites with user-friendly UX. They’ll generally determine this via signs of lower bounce rates and higher engagement.
Conduct usability testing on your own (or with a web design marketing agency) with both internal teams and external users to spot friction points yourself. Even small improvements like simplifying menu categories or adding a search function can dramatically improve conversions. A seamless, professional experience tells prospects that your company values precision in every detail, from the manufacturing floor to website design.
